Fact check roundup: False claims about election fraud, candidates swirl amid 2022 midterms
The 2022 midterm elections featured dozens of competitive races between Democratic and Republican candidates vying for seats in Congress, state legislatures and other offices halfway into President Joe Biden's four-year term.
But misinformation circulated widely in the days before and after the election. Dozens of false and misleading claims have surfaced about vote counting, ballot proposals, supposed voter fraud and the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election.
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Here's a roundup of midterms-related checks from the USA TODAY Fact-Check Team.
Claims about election fraud
Claim: People depositing multiple ballots in Arizona drop boxes is proof of election fraud
Our rating: False
This video isn't proof of fraud. It is legal in Arizona for relatives, household members and caregivers to submit ballots other than their own, according to spokespersons for the Arizona Secretary of State and the Maricopa County Elections Department. Read more.
Claim: Post implies duffle bags arriving at Maricopa County's ballot counting center are a sign of fraud
Our rating: False
The image is not evidence of election fraud. A Maricopa County election official told USA TODAY the black duffle bags hold ballots and are part of the routine process of comparing how many people checked in to how many ballots were cast or used. Read more.
Claim: Maggie Hassan won 1,100 votes from town with fewer than 700 people
Our rating: False
That figure came from a typo on an official form, the secretary of state’s office said in a press release. The error was later corrected, and it did not affect the results of the race. Read more.
Claim: Chart shows election fraud in Michigan attorney general race
Our rating: False
The chart shows partial results of the election, with a spike in vote tallies for the Democratic candidate in particular when highly populated, largely Democratic counties reported their vote totals. The chart is not indicative of voter fraud. Read more.
Claim: Post implies Pennsylvania elections graphic with conflicting data is a sign of fraud
Our rating: Missing context
The image shows an error in the graphic aired by a TV network. The network acknowledged it was human error that led to the incorrect numbers being aired, not fraud in the race. Read more.
Claim: A blackout of Nevada's ballot-counting livestream 'is one of the ways blue states steal elections'
Our rating: False
A livestream feed blackout overnight was caused by a connectivity issue, according to a Washoe County statement. Security camera footage and employee access card data shows no interference with the ballots during the blackout. Read more.
Claim: Post implies Bexar, Texas, elections 'called' with '0% of precincts reporting' are proof of fraud
Our rating: Missing context
While early and absentee voting results showed "0 of 302" vote centers reporting, this referred only to Election Day voting. Most Bexar County votes were cast before Election Day. At least one candidate conceded her race based on early voting results, according to local media. The county did not "call" any races before all the votes were tallied and will not certify the results until Nov. 22. Read more.
Claim: Texas voting machine adding voters as polls close was election fraud
Our rating: False
E-pollbooks in Dallas County encountered a processing delay that resulted in data from already checked-in voters being downloaded after polls closed. It is normal for the equipment to experience delays and not indicative of election fraud, officials said. Read more.
Claim: Candidates with more social media followers losing an election is proof of fraud
Our rating: False
Experts told USA TODAY there is no correlation between the two. In this case, both candidates who lost had large social media followings before they started their political careers, meaning the followings consisted largely of people outside their voting bloc. Read more.
Claim: Post implies deceased candidate’s victory in Pennsylvania election is evidence of voter fraud
Our rating: Missing context
DeLuca died after the deadline to withdraw a candidate from the ballot had passed, meaning his name could not be removed from the ballot. Voters could still make the choice to support him over the remaining candidate, and there is no evidence the votes supporting him were cast illegitimately. Read more.
Claim: Photos show 2022 midterm election ballots found in the trash in locations across the country
Our rating: False
The pictures aren't from 2022, and one doesn't even involve stolen ballots. The pictures were captured during two separate incidents in 2020, taking place in New Jersey, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Read more.
Claim: Video shows voter fraud at a polling station in Philadelphia
Our rating: False
The video shows a poll worker in Madison, Wisconsin, initialing and marking ballots to indicate which ward they were cast in, according to the county clerk. It is part of the verification process required by law. The video has no connection to Philadelphia or any form of fraud. Read more.
Claim: Post implies work of Justice Department and National Guard during midterm elections is evidence of fraud
Our rating: Missing context
The Justice Department has routinely sent election monitors to polling sites across the country for decades to enforce federal voting laws and protect voters from interference or intimidation. The National Guard’s role in the midterm elections was to help states protect against cyber threats, which have been a particular concern since the 2016 presidential election. Read more.
Claim: John Fetterman is suing to have undated ballots counted so he can cheat
Our rating: False
Experts say the request to count ballots is valid and legal. In addition, the number of uncounted ballots is small in comparison to Fetterman's lead, and there is no way of knowing who the ballots would support. Read more.
Claim: Democrats used 47 million mail-in ballots to steal every U.S. midterm election
Our rating: False
Election experts told USA TODAY that officials ensure every mail-in ballot is linked to an eligible voter, and that voter fraud by mail is very rare. Although it is not clear yet how many mail-in ballots were counted in the midterms, not all ballots cast were for Democrats. News reports show Democrat incumbents have lost races in the midterms. Read more.
Claim: Post implies New Mexico's Secretary of State reported 17 million registered voters
Our rating: Missing context
That number was on the state's website for testing purposes. There are over 1.3 million registered voters in New Mexico, according to the Secretary of state's website. Read more.
Claim: 'Corrupt electronic voting machines' gave Tammy Duckworth a vote spike, helping her win reelection
Our rating: False
An Illinois election official said there is no evidence any voting machines were compromised. All of the state's election equipment is tested for accuracy before the election, and there are strict security protocols for that equipment and the ballots. And a USA TODAY review of election night tallies from the Associated Press shows no such voting spike in the Illinois senate race. Read more.
Claim: An 'absentee ballot situation' in Detroit proves there was cheating in the election
Our rating: False
While there was a technical error that briefly prevented some Detroit voters from casting ballots, the issue was resolved, and no eligible voters were turned away at the polls, according to election officials. The situation is not indicative of election fraud, experts say. Read more.
Claim: Results of Arizona gubernatorial race aired ahead of Election Day show attempt to steal election
Our rating: False
FOX 10 in Phoenix unintentionally aired data that was randomly generated and distributed by the Associated Press as part of a system test. The data is not representative of actual votes in Arizona's gubernatorial race and is not indicative of election fraud. Read more.
Claim: Ballots found in Pennsylvania drop boxes show cheating in the election
Our rating: False
Centre County election officials told USA TODAY voters slipped their ballots into the locked drop boxes prior to the opening date through a defect. None of the ballots were fraudulent, and they could not be accessed once inside the box except by county officials. Read more.
Claim: Post implies Pennsylvania erred in sending ballots to ‘255,000 unverified’ voters for the midterm elections
Our rating: Missing context
Any ballots where a voter's identification hasn't been verified before the election won't be counted, officials said. The number of unverified voters has shrunk in the days and weeks before the election as the verification process continues to play out, and there were about 7,600 ballot applications still in need of verification as of Oct. 28. Read more.
Claim: Biden announced 'they are going to cheat by dumping ballots'
Our rating: False
Biden never made such an announcement. The president did say Americans should be patient as ballots are counted in 2022. It is normal for state election officials to continue counting ballots after Election Day, election experts told USA TODAY. That is not indicative of election fraud. Read more.
Claim: Soros has funded voting machines being used in the midterms, and they are rigged
Our rating: False
Soros has not funded voting machines used in the midterms, according to his spokesperson and a spokesperson for Verified Voting, a nonpartisan organization that focuses on voting equipment. Multiple companies that own voting machines have also said in past statements that Soros is not an investor. Read more.
Claim: Arizona ballot machine glitches show 'they're cheating again'
Our rating: False
Maricopa County officials explained that some printers in the county were not producing dark enough formatting marks on ballots, meaning the counting machines couldn't read them. But voters had multiple options to ensure their ballots were still counted in the affected locations. There was no evidence of impropriety. Read more.
Claims about voting methods and election practices
Claim: Florida banned mass mail-in ballots and 'ballot harvesting,' requires voter ID and added an election police
Our rating: Partly false
Contrary to the post's claim, Florida allows all eligible voters to request mail-in-ballots, election experts told USA TODAY. The state also did not "ban" ballot harvesting, as widespread ballot collecting was never allowed to begin with. It is true, though, that Florida requires voter identification and added an election police force. Read more.
Claim: Video shows Arizona midterm election ballots spilling down an escalator
Our rating: False
This video has no connection to Arizona. The footage was filmed in the Highpoint Shopping Centre in Australia, according to the chief customer officer of one of the surrounding stores. It dates back to at least 2020. Read more.
Claim: 52% of John Fetterman's votes were mail-in ballots
Our rating: False
Fetterman won with 35% of his votes coming from mail-in ballots. Election officials say mail-in voting is safe and secure. Read more.
Claim: Post implies there was wrongdoing in a rejected New York ballot
Our rating: Missing context
The video does show a machine rejecting a ballot, but only because the voter was trying to use the wrong machine. The man was attempting to use an AutoMARK machine, which marks ballots for people with physical disabilities and language barriers, thinking it was a ballot tabulator. Read more.
Claim: A van was delivering 'suspicious' ballots on election night in Detroit
Our rating: False
The legal deadline involved here relates to when ballots must be submitted, not when they must be picked up, contrary to the article's claim. It is normal for election workers to start collecting absentee ballots after polls close at 8 p.m. in Detroit. The collection process is time-consuming and can last for many hours. Read more.
Claim: Pennsylvania judge ruled on Election Day that mail-in ballots count if received by Nov. 14
Our rating: False
There was no such ruling, according to the Pennsylvania Department of State. Mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania must be received by county election offices by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted. The only exception is overseas and military ballots, which have until Nov. 15. Read more.
Claim: Two-thirds of eligible voters don't vote
Our rating: False
Data provided by the U.S. Elections Project and its creator, Michael McDonald, shows that in recent years more than one-third of voters participated in midterm elections, while more than half participated in presidential elections. Read more.
Claim: Postal Service can destroy mail-in ballots with impunity
Our rating: False
Election experts told USA TODAY that no matter how a person elects to mail their ballot, federal law prohibits Postal Service employees from tampering with it. Tampering with ballots can lead to fines or jail time. Read more.
Claim: The U.S. ‘could easily count every vote in every state on election night until a few years ago’
Our rating: False
Official results have always taken days or weeks to finalize given the array of checks and balances used by election officials, experts say. Read more.
Claim: Colorado mailing ballots to all voters is unconstitutional
Our rating: False
Experts told USA TODAY that Colorado's mail-in ballots initiative is constitutional, as no court has ruled otherwise. Colorado’s state law has explicitly authorized the sending of ballots to all registered voters since 2013. Read more.
Claim: Mail-in ballots provide 'an opportunity for bad actors to know how many fraudulent ballots they need to produce'
Our rating: False
Multiple security measures exist throughout the voting process to ensure each mail-in vote is associated with a legitimate voter. Experts say the proposed fraud scenario is preposterous on multiple levels: Mail-in voting does not give anyone the chance to see who a person voted for or know any of the ballot counts, and the variety of ballots used by different municipalities also makes such an operation impossible. Read more.
Claim: You can cast your ballot online in Washington state
Our rating: False
The website featured in the post doesn't allow voters to cast their ballots. It merely allows voters to mark, review and print their ballots so they can take it to election officials, who verify voter identity before processing the ballots, according to a King County Elections spokesperson. Read more.
Claims about candidates and parties
Claim: The IRS donated to Katie Hobbs’ campaign
Our rating: False
As a government entity, the IRS does not contribute to political campaigns. The figure in the post was a refund for an overpayment of payroll tax, a campaign official said. Read more.
Claim: Photo shows Katie Hobbs in a tabulation room on Nov. 9
Our rating: False
The image is a still taken from a livestream of vote counting in Maricopa County, and the woman pictured is not Hobbs, according to the county and the Hobbs campaign. Read more.
Claim: Donald Trump canceled his presidential campaign
Our rating: False
Trump has yet to announce if he is running for president in 2024. The video in the post is miscaptioned, as it shows part of an episode of "Morning Joe." Read more.
Claim: Kari Lake won Arizona's gubernatorial race as of Nov. 9
Our rating: False
No winner was declared in the Arizona race as of Nov. 9 as the totals remained close and only 70% of ballots had been counted. Hobbs had a slight lead over Lake at that point. Read more.
Claim: An image shows House Republicans' 'Commitment to America' plan
Our rating: Altered
The graphic is digitally manipulated and was not issued by House Republicans. None of the points listed in the image exist on Commitment to America's official agenda or website. Read more.
Claim: Mehmet Oz won the race for a US Senate seat in Pennsylvania
Our rating: False
At the time the post was made, the general election had not happened yet. Fetterman had not left the race. He had been actively campaigning and raising money. Read more.
Claim: Home Depot donated $1.75 million to Senate nominee Herschel Walker
Our rating: False
While Bernard Marcus, the co-founder of Home Depot, donated $1.75 million to a PAC dedicated to supporting Walker, he left the company 20 years ago. The donation he made is not affiliated with Home Depot. Read more.
Claim: Stacey Abrams lobbied to move the MLB All-Star Game and Music Midtown
Our rating: False
The post is referencing Major League Baseball's decision to move its All-Star Game out of Georgia in 2021 and the cancelation of the Music Midtown festival in Atlanta in August. But, Abrams did not lobby to move or cancel either event. Read more.
Claims about ballot initiatives
Claim: Connecticut ballot question would allow early voting and remove requirements of sealing some ballots
Our rating: Partly false
It is true that the initiative would allow for early voting in Connecticut. But it won't reduce ballot security. The initiative, if passed, would eliminate a requirement dating back to the late 1700s that election results had to be sealed with hot wax – which is no longer being done anyhow. Read more.
Claim: Michigan's Proposal 2 would let felons vote from prison, get rid of voter ID and allow donations to election clerks
Our rating: Partly false
Experts told USA TODAY the state constitutional amendment would not affect current state law that prohibits incarcerated people from voting. It would, however, add to the constitution two other elements already in state law that allow voters to provide a signed affidavit instead of a photo ID when voting and allow donations to support election operations. Read more.
Claim: A California ballot measure would 'extend abortions up to 9 months'
Our rating: False
Proposition 1 does not explicitly extend the right to an abortion up until birth. The amendment has no specific wording about when abortion would be legal. The broad wording of the constitutional amendment is intentional so legislators and voters can define limits, experts say. Read more.
Claims about 2018 and 2020 election legitimacy
Claim: Trump stopped a 'steal' in the 2018 Florida gubernatorial race
Our rating: False
Broward County officials told USA TODAY there was no federal law enforcement presence during the 2018 race, and there were no stolen votes either. Multiple investigations and reviews found no sign of fraud in Broward County during the 2018 election. Read more.
Claim: The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the 2020 election was rigged
Our rating: False
No such ruling was made in the state, according to a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of State. While Pennsylvania's highest court did rule that undated or misdated ballots should not be counted in the midterms, this ruling does not apply to the 2020 race retroactively, experts say. Read more.
Claim: The 2020 election was declared 'illegal'
Our rating: False
There is no constitutional mechanism for declaring an election illegal after Congress has certified the winner. None of the court rulings referenced in the post impact the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, according to state election officials. Read more.
Claim: Washington state had 590,000 'excess votes' in the 2020 election
Our rating: False
Washington state’s general election results show fewer votes than registered voters, and there is no evidence those tallies were affected by fraud. Read more.
Claim: Video shows Trump’s lawyer revealing evidence that proves Biden’s election was fraudulent
Our rating: False
The video included in the post shows Trump’s lawyer David Schoen during the former president's second impeachment trial. Schoen does not reveal any evidence of election fraud in the clip. Read more.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check roundup: What's true and false from midterm election claims
